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Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh by bus or flight
Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh
By bus: over a dozen companies run coaches and limousine vans from central Ho Chi Minh City around Phạm Ngũ Lão, about 05:00 to 17:00, via Mộc Bài (Vietnam) and Bavet (Cambodia): 5 hours 45 minutes to 8 hours 30 minutes, from about 561,000₫ for October 2026. Vietnam Airlines flies direct in under an hour to Techo International Airport (KTI). Cambodia's official e-visa costs USD 30 plus a service fee, accepted at Bavet.
Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh time, price and border
| Usual way | Bus, crossing at Mộc Bài and Bavet |
|---|---|
| Typical time | 5 h 45 min to 8 h 30 min by bus; under 1 h flying |
| What it costs | Bus from about 561,000₫ |
| Where it arrives | Company offices in central Phnom Penh; Techo International Airport (KTI) by air |
Leaving Ho Chi Minh City
The buses leave from their company offices in central Saigon, most of them around Phạm Ngũ Lão street (Phuong Heng at 275C Phạm Ngũ Lão, Long Phuong and Capitol nearby), or on Đào Duy Từ and Nguyễn Cư Trinh streets (iHome, Meko Limo). The booking gives the address and the time to be there.
Arriving in Phnom Penh
Buses end at their company offices in central Phnom Penh, several along Preah Sihanouk Boulevard (Phuong Heng at 279, Meko Limo and iHome at 343), others at Orussey market (Capitol) or their own stations.
Flights land at Techo International Airport (KTI), the airport printed on Vietnam Airlines' flights for October 2026. Many older guides name a different airport, so check yours.
Visa and the e-Arrival form
Visa. Cambodia's official e-visa, on evisa.gov.kh, costs USD 30 plus a service fee, is valid for three months and takes three business days; Bavet, the Cambodian side of the Mộc Bài crossing, accepts it, and Cambodia's embassies say a visa on arrival is also issued at Bavet. The e-Arrival portal asks every traveller, visa holders included, to file the free Cambodia e-Arrival form within seven days before arrival; the embassy in Berlin says it applies for now only to arrivals by air.
Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City
Travel is by bus: the same bus companies run back from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City from about 04:00 to 16:00, in 5 hours 45 minutes to 8 hours 30 minutes, from about 562,500₫ sold online for October 2026, crossing at Bavet and Mộc Bài and ending around Phạm Ngũ Lão.
Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City time and price
| Usual way | Bus |
|---|---|
| Typical time | 5 h 45 min to 8 h 30 min |
| What it costs | From about 562,500₫ |
| Where it departs | Company offices in central Phnom Penh |
Leaving Phnom Penh
Buses leave from their offices in Phnom Penh, several on Preah Sihanouk Boulevard.
Arriving in Ho Chi Minh City
They end at their offices in central Ho Chi Minh City, around Phạm Ngũ Lão, Đào Duy Từ and Nguyễn Cư Trinh streets.
Coming into Vietnam
Coming into Vietnam you need a Vietnamese visa or an exemption for your passport; Vietnam's official e-visa portal is evisa.gov.vn.
Six to eight hours by bus, with the border in the middle
Phnom Penh is about six to eight hours from Ho Chi Minh City by road, with the border at Mộc Bài on the Vietnamese side and Bavet on the Cambodian side in between.
The buses are the usual way: for October 2026 departures, more than a dozen companies and more than 100 departures were on sale online, all in daylight between about 05:00 and 17:00.
Flying is quick, under an hour, but for October 2026 departures the direct flights cost several times the bus, from about 3,000,000₫.
Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh bus times
On sale for October 2026:
- Airbus: 18 departures from 05:00 to 16:45
- Giant Ibis: 06:00, 08:00, 09:45, 13:15
- Phuong Heng: 05:00, 07:00, 08:30, 13:00, 15:30
- Long Phuong: 06:00, 07:00, 09:30, 11:00, 13:30, 15:00
- Capitol: 08:30, 09:00, 11:30, 12:00, 13:30, 14:00
- Meko Limo (vans): 06:10 to 16:10
Bus and flight prices to Phnom Penh
Sold online for October 2026, fees included:
The Cambodian e-visa is extra: USD 30 plus a service fee on evisa.gov.kh.
The border at Mộc Bài and Bavet
The crossing is Mộc Bài on the Vietnamese side and Bavet on the Cambodian side. You pass Vietnamese exit control at Mộc Bài and Cambodian immigration at Bavet; have your passport and visa ready for both.
Bavet is on the official list of entry points that accept Cambodia's e-visa; the Vietnam–Cambodia border guide covers the other crossings, and the Vietnam visa guide the way back in. Cambodia's e-Arrival portal also asks every traveller to file its free form before arrival.
Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh: what people ask
How long is the bus from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh?
About 5 hours 45 minutes to 8 hours 30 minutes, including the border at Mộc Bài and Bavet, on the times sold for October 2026.
How much is the bus from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh?
From about 561,000₫ to 925,000₫ sold online for October 2026; VIP services up to about 1,200,000₫.
Do I need a visa for Cambodia at the Moc Bai border?
Unless your passport is exempt, yes. Cambodia's official e-visa costs USD 30 plus a service fee, takes three business days and is accepted at Bavet, the Cambodian side of the Mộc Bài crossing; Cambodia's embassies say a visa on arrival is also issued there.
What is the Cambodia e-Arrival form?
A free online arrival form that Cambodia's e-Arrival portal asks every traveller, visa holders included, to submit within seven days before arrival. Cambodia's embassy in Berlin says that for now it applies only to arrivals by air.
Which bus company goes from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh?
For October 2026, the companies on sale online included Giant Ibis, Phuong Heng, Long Phuong, Capitol, Danh Danh, Airbus, Meko Limo, iHome Transfer and others, most leaving from around Phạm Ngũ Lão.
Which airport do flights to Phnom Penh land at?
Techo International Airport (KTI). Vietnam Airlines flies there direct from Tan Son Nhat in under an hour.